


Izzûgh Kidhuzur

by Thorinsmut Commissions (Thorinsmut)



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Ableism, Alley Sex, Blind!Nori, Complete, Dirty Talk, Dubcon Kissing, Fighting, Juggling, Kissing, Knives, M/M, Nori is a Little Shit, Pre-Quest, Threats, briefly mentioned infanticide, handjobs, underestimate Nori at your own peril
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-21
Updated: 2014-11-18
Packaged: 2018-02-21 16:13:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2474420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thorinsmut/pseuds/Thorinsmut%20Commissions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Izzûgh Kidhuzur: The Golden Eyed</p><p>Nori was born blind.<br/>In no way is this going to stop him from being a <em>damn</em> good thief. (and mercilessly teasing Dwalin)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: blind

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Squeakerblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squeakerblue/gifts).



> written for the prompt:  
> Maybe, something along the lines of Nori being blinded young and using his stonesense to “see”? Still being a thief, and perfectly capable of fighting. Nori/Dwalin of course!

.

"The baby is blind."

Ari's hands trembled when she accepted her newborn back from the Dam who'd placed herself as a healer among the refugees. Ari had called for her because she suspected, but she'd _hoped_ she was wrong. The baby caught one of Ari's beard braids in a tight little fist, the most beautiful golden eyes wide open and unseeing beneath a full head of silky red hair.

"I'm so sorry," the healer continued quietly. She was an older Dam, eyes tired and hair all gone to white, her broad shoulders stooped under the weight of their forced exile. "In Erebor we had the means to care for them, but now.... You're young and strong still, you'll have others. With times so hard it might be kindest to return this one to the stone unnamed..."

Ari's heart froze as she realized what was being suggested, poison words in such a gentle voice. That she could even _suggest_ that Ari abandon the child she had not yet known she carried when the Dragon came, the last thing her husband had given her before the Dragon took him, was horrifying. It was all she could do not to grab up her hammer – her dead husband's warhammer – and drive the healer out of her tumbledown hovel. Only the fact that sweet little Dori was finally asleep on their meager bed stayed her.

The baby tugged hard on Ari's braid, and she unbuttoned her shirt for her brave little fighter. The baby latched on to nurse, making happy little grunting noises, and Ari smiled – petting down-soft red hair.

"Nori," Ari named quietly, "Little Nori, joy of my sorrow. Named for my grandmother, pride of our line." Ari cradled her baby, her _Nori_ , close to her breast. The healer took a step back from her expression when Ari looked up at her. Hard as diamonds, her husband had always praised the strength of her will. It had carried her to all the way to the Blue Mountains with Dori in her arms and Nori growing heavy in her womb. It would carry her a little further.

"What does any baby need?" Ari asked, soft and quiet. "Food, clothes, love. My baby is as good as any other. What does it matter that Nori is blind? We will find other ways to work. There will be nothing any other Dwarf can do that my Nori can't."

"I did not mean to suggest that..." the healer started.

"But you _did,_ " Ari pointed out. "And you can leave my house, and _never_ return, but mark my words: Nori will be the finest of us all."

.


	2. first meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori and Dwalin meet. It could have gone better.

.

There was no name for the thief.

They called him the Golden Eyed or sometimes the Guide. They said he knew every path and stone of the Blue mountains – he certainly made his way through all the Dwarven settlements in the range. There was no treasure safe from him.

He was never caught.

His accomplices were, sometimes – he rarely seemed to work alone – but even that was not common. Typically he came and went unseen, the only sign of his presence that something was _gone_.

Or so they said.

Dwalin heard the stories, and they were fine ghost tales, but most of them were an obvious cover for incompetent guards. If the Golden Eyed really existed, Dwalin sincerely doubted he'd been involved in _half_ of the thefts attributed to him.

He might not be real, but there were still outstanding warrants for his arrest in every major settlement in the Blue Mountains. There was a hefty price on his head, pooled together and offered up by many of those who felt they'd been his victims.

It was something to keep an eye out for, if nothing else. Dwalin always could use some extra money.

He didn't think much of it until he caught a pair of thieves going after a shipment he was guarding on its way north up the mountains, and they started arguing.

"I _told_ you we should have hired the Golden Eyed," the younger one hissed as his hands were tied. "We would never have gotten caught with him."

"Shutup," the elder hissed back, "I told you we couldn't afford him."

"And we can afford getting arrested?"

The attempted thieves silenced as Dwalin hunkered down in front of them, watching him with wide eyes. "You know where to find the Golden Eyed?" Dwalin asked quietly. They glanced to each other and back, mouths closed tight.

"I'm no city guard..." Dwalin continued, quiet and reasonable. "You tell me how to find the Golden Eyed, well, I might not be so good at binding hands as I thought."

The younger thief licked his lips nervously, glancing at the tense and silent elder, before he leaned forward. "You swear? You'll let us both go if I tell you?"

"On the blades of my axes," Dwalin swore, and he smiled as the younger Dwarf told him _exactly_ how to find the thief known as the Golden Eyed.

.

Dwalin glanced around the small undecorated one-room apartment, carved deep in the stone and only lit with a single dim lamp. It did not _seem_ like the sort of opulence a famed thief would live in.

He nodded deeply when a Dwarf stood from a chair, "I heard I could find the Guide, here?" Dwalin asked. It seemed best to pretend to want to hire him first.

"I'm afraid you've been lead astray," the Dwarf laughed, stepping into the light, and he was beautiful. His hair threw rich wine-reds in the lamplight, all up tall in three peaks with a braid down the center of his head and his eyebrows braided up. His beard was the same color, braided carefully into gleaming braids bound with simple silver beads. He was small, and dressed in muted grays and lavenders cut to accent the shape of his body. He held a mining tool in his hand, Dwalin didn't know the true name for it. It was a light mace on one of the long handle, a point on the other for breaking and prying rocks apart. He tapped it to the floor as he stepped forward, touching the corner of the chair, the wall – orienting himself. Dwalin half-knew even before the other Dwarf confirmed it.

"There's just me here, and I'm blind," he gave Dwalin an apologetic half-smile that had the feel of having been rehearsed. His expression was otherwise very blank. His eyes _were_ golden, the brightest gold flakes caught in dark stone, but his gaze was just a little off-center.

"Damn," Dwalin cursed. Those thieves would rue the day they tried to make a fool of _Dwalin_. They might be free for the moment, but he'd hunt them down and make them _pay_ for this.

And yet... this Dwarf's eyes _were_ golden. He'd hate to have the Golden Eyed in his grasp and let him go for some trick. Dwalin stepped forward and waved his hand quickly before the Dwarf's face.

"I can tell what you're doing." The Dwarf said sharply. His brilliant eyes did not follow movement, but aimed somewhere near Dwalin's face. "I can feel the movement of the air from your hand, hear the rustling of your fabric and furs, the creak of your leather."

Dwalin dropped his hand, feeling the heat of embarrassment on his neck. "I'm sorry," he apologized. His voice softened on its own, this beautiful little Dwarf triggered all the instincts that told him to _protect_.

"Everyone does it," the blind Dwarf sighed, more resigned than anything, and Dwalin felt another sharp prickling of guilt. This Dwarf ought to be cared for, guarded, and instead he had rude warriors bursting into his house uninvited.

"You live here alone?" Dwalin asked. He ought to be apologizing for his imposition and seeing himself out, but he did not really want to. He was making a complete hash of first impressions, but he wanted to know this Dwarf better.

"I do alright for myself," he answered. "What was your name again?"

"...Dwalin," Dwalin answered. He hadn't even introduced himself when he came barging in, of all the ox-headed things. He was doing this even worse than he thought.

"May I _see_ my visitor, Dwalin?" the other Dwarf asked, raising a long-fingered hand hesitantly as he stepped forward. "You've gotten to see me."

"Oh, I... of course?" Dwalin reached out and took the offered hand, intending to bring it to his face, but the other Dwarf caught hold of his hand in turn, eyebrows raising slightly. It was such a great big rough hand on his. Dwalin suddenly was not sure at all that he _wanted_ to be seen. He was such a lanky ox of a Dwarf, what would a gentle Dwarf like this want with him? He was not beautiful.

The blind Dwarf explored Dwalin's hand, traced his scars and callouses, the shape of his worn knuckledusters. He felt up Dwalin's arm to his shoulder.

"Such a tall warrior..." he mused, but he sounded pleased. Like it was a good thing.

"You're beautiful," Dwalin answered, and he could have bitten his tongue. A pretty Dwarf touched him and he was a clumsy-booted adolescent with his foot in his mouth all the time again?

"I've been told," the Dwarf agreed, a small smile quirking his lips – a real one. He petted the rough hair of Dwalin's unbraided beard for a moment before reaching upward to his face. His fingers were impossibly gentle, feeling the shape of Dwalin's face – his scars and his broken nose. He was standing very close now, to reach up. Dwalin could feel the heat of his body against his front, through the space between them and both of their clothes. He easily balanced his mining tool against his shoulder and reached for Dwalin with his other hand too. This one rested on his chest, feeling his furs, the fabric of his shirt, tugged on the crossed leather of his axe harness. Dwalin swallowed hard. His hand had somehow decided that it belonged on the beautiful Dwarf's hip, and he didn't really mind. It didn't seem the other Dwarf did either.

"What did you hope for, if the Guide was here?" he asked, perfectly calm, as if this were completely normal. To him, maybe it was. It wasn't to Dwalin. He was not sure he'd _ever_ been touched this way, and certainly never by someone so beautiful.

"I... I..." Dwalin was momentarily distracted by his free hand, the one that wasn't on the smaller Dwarf's hip, being lifted to his face to touch in turn. The blind Dwarf's skin was soft, his hair silky. Dwalin just cupped the side of his face, hardly dared breathe, did not dare touch him more than that. He was so quiet and gentle, and Dwalin was rough clear through. He'd never thought he'd have a reason not to want to be. "Collect the reward," Dwalin finally answered the question he'd been asked.

He answered in a thoughtful hum. His fingertips traced the shape of Dwalin's lips, and Dwalin shuddered involuntarily. He hesitantly rubbed his thumb across the other Dwarf's soft lips, and he licked them in the wake of Dwalin's touch, gleaming in the dim lamplight.

"K-kiss you?" Dwalin breathed, because apparently he could not keep his thoughts separate from his words anymore. The beautiful little Dwarf answered by sliding the hand on Dwalin's chest around to his back to pull their bodies closer, the hand on Dwalin's face to the back of his neck to guide his face down as he stretched up onto his toes.

Dwalin closed his eyes as their lips met, his arms holding the smaller Dwarf close, the most wonderful press of soft lips – so tender and gentle with the taste of tea and honey on his lips.

Dwalin was completely unprepared when his ankle was hooked with the strong yank of a boot, the mining tool catching him off-balance and sending his whole body spinning to crash into the ground. Dwalin didn't have the time to even be properly _confused_ before he was pinned, arm twisted up behind his back, a sharp knee bruising painfully into his kidney.

"The next time you underestimate me, Dwalin, I'll slit your fucking _throat_." The other Dwarf's voice was as sharp and cold as the blade he pressed tight against Dwalin's neck. His expression was still blank, the edges of it Dwalin could see over his shoulder, golden eyes unfocused. He gave a tiny twitch with his hand, just barely, and Dwalin could feel cold steel splitting his skin. The other Dwarf was gone before the gasp was fully out of Dwalin's mouth, flipped to his feet and running out the door with his mining tool in his hand.

Dwalin might be gasping on the floor, utterly off balance in every meaning of the word, but he wasn't a warrior and a survivor of wars for nothing. He was back on his feet and giving chase before his mind fully caught up.

The Golden Eyed.

Dwalin ran fast – speed was one blessing of being so tall – and he caught glimpses of the peak-haired Dwarf as he pursued through the twisted caverns of the settlement. He should have caught him, he ran fast enough, but the Golden Eyed turned a corner and was _gone_. Dwalin was a Dwarf, he could see in the dark, but not in pitch blackness. He had his stone sense, but only just enough to tell that ahead lay broken rock as treacherous as the Dwarf who'd run into it.

Dwalin stopped at the edge of the light, panting hard, fists clenching and unclenching in rage. He stayed there seething, pressing the thin cut on his throat to stop the bleeding, a long time before he turned back to return to the shipment he was supposed to be guarding.

He'd have given it up as a bad job, forgotten all about catching the Golden Eyed, if he had not discovered his purse of coin and his favorite knife had been stolen from out of his clothes.

 _That_ made it personal.

.

Dwalin saw his shipment safely to its buyer, and did not take another contract. He went to the prison of Ered Luin – biggest settlement in the Blue Mountains.

"I need to speak to anyone you have who's worked with the Golden Eyed," he requested. A hunter had to know his quarry, and his had already proven dangerous.

Those few who _would_ speak to Dwalin had only praise for the thief. "We should have stayed closer to him, followed better..." they sighed. "He spotted the Guard closing in and said _run_ , but he just disappeared..."

"He can lead anyone, anywhere," they told Dwalin. "He can find a way into _any_ treasure, no matter how guarded."

"And at what point are you planning on telling me that he's _blind_." Dwalin growled.

The Dwarf he'd been talking to laughed, glancing around at her companions before leaning close against the bars between them. "No," she said, shaking her head. "When you walk with the Golden Eyed, _you're_ the one who's blind."

.


	3. second kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They told Nori he was blind...

.

They told Nori he was blind.

As far as _he_ was concerned, he was the only one who wasn't. Who else could keep track of their companions behind them, feel the weight and resonance of their boots on the stone? Who else could track guards and passersby streets and rooms away? Who else could always tell where someone kept their knives and coin, and approximately how much they had on them? Who else could tell a false coin from true at a single touch?

No one – or at least no one Nori had ever met.

True he could not categorize gemstones beyond the broad classes – the corundums all felt the same, he could not tell a 'sapphire' from a 'ruby', and he couldn't tell an 'aquamarine' from an 'emerald' in the beryls, but he could easily tell them from each other and from diamonds. It was a small difficulty to have, not important, and it meant he had more reason to work with others – which could be fun. It was harder outside a mountain, where there was not so much stone to feel, and non-Dwarves did not resonate on the stone the way a Dwarf did, but this was also not a problem. Under the mountains, there was no one better than Nori.

Nori was careful who he worked with, and what jobs he took. His favorite was leading small groups into places they weren't supposed to go. He was well paid for it.

Nori tapped the sharp end of the bongy-knocker softly against the stones, feeling the resonance sweep out. He signed 'stop' to the Dwarves behind him. They would be able to see him sign. He had a fairly good grasp of what others could sense, limited as they were. All it took was a thin wall, a corner, lack of a lamp or sun, or even just turning their head away, and they could not see.

He was not afraid to use that.

Nori felt out to the edges of his stone sense as he waited for the guard to turn the corner so he could lead his group on, and smiled. He crouched down to tap his hand to the stone and feel closer, but there was no denying who he'd just found hanging around.

Dwalin.

Oh, that was going to be _fun_. Nori licked his lips as he signed 'follow' and led his group quickly on. If he could say he had a type, Dwalin would fit neatly into it. Big, strong, bit of a hot temper. His boots were heavy on the stone, with the dangerous balance of a seasoned warrior. Nori liked his hands, big and strong as they were. He'd spent more than one enjoyable evening alone picturing those hands all over him.

It was more than time he said hello to Dwalin again. He had taken Nori's advice to heart, and wasn't underestimating him anymore just because he was 'blind', which was nice. Some people couldn't get over that one. Dwalin was the most persistent of the hunters after Nori.

Nori led his group past the last of the guards and set them on the path that would see them out of the mountain to go take their prize to their buyer. Nori smoothed out his soft comfortable clothes to be sure he had no wrinkles – Dori was the best at tailoring – and made sure his braids were all perfect before he casually ambled past where Dwalin should be able to see him.

Dwalin didn't give himself away by shouting or anything ridiculous like that, he just charged directly at Nori as fast as his long legs would carry him. Maybe he thought Nori wouldn't notice him if he didn't say anything? As if Nori couldn't _hear_ him running, even without his stone sense to tell him of it.

Nori played oblivious until the last possible instant before he ducked neatly out of the way and stuck out the handle of the bongy-knocker. Dwalin tripped over it perfectly, crashing heavily to the floor.

"You can do better than that, Dwalin," Nori tisked disappointedly, shaking his head, but he did not have the time to make more fun. Dwalin rolled back up to his feet with a growl and went on the attack again, and he was good. He was _very_ good, but he was trying not to _injure_ Nori. Nori wouldn't like to be someone Dwalin was fighting to kill. He focused mostly on dodging and blocking, allowing himself to be driven back, but carefully choosing the paths he'd take. He went only toward places they would not be seen, places he could escape from.

Dwalin caught on quickly that trying to tackle Nori only ended with himself on the floor, and began trying other tactics – snarling under his breath. Clever of him. Some people never caught on, couldn't adapt.

"You're doing better," Nori praised. He kept light on his toes, his attention focused on the feel of Dwalin's balance against the stone – the creak of his leather and the rustle of his furs and clothes to predict his motions. Here, too, Nori had an advantage. Dwalin couldn't feel Nori's balance to predict him, and he'd been told he was impossible to read, as his eyes didn't give his attacks away.

Useless things, eyes.

Dwalin might have though he'd have the advantage if he caught hold of Nori and it came to grappling, but that was the first type of combat he'd ever learned. Dwalin might be bigger than Dori, but Dori was stronger, and Nori'd been grappling with him his whole life.

Grappling just gave Nori the chance to get his hands on Dwalin's coin purse. It was light, mostly silver, but Nori took it anyway. No sense in letting the opportunity go to waste.

Nori might be focused on making sure Dwalin couldn't disarm or disable him, but he could still appreciate the size and strength of Dwalin's hands grabbing him, his big arms squeezing him. Dwalin's body was all hard, muscles and power, and Nori could already tell parts of this would be joining him of an evening fantasy.

At the moment he was more interested in keeping himself unpinned. Nori bashed Dwalin's elbow _just right_ , making his hand open to free Nori's wrist. He ought to end this, slip out of Dwalin's grasp entirely and run to the places he knew the warrior couldn't follow him.

First, though, he grabbed Dwalin by the back of the head and mashed their mouths together. Dwalin's entire body stiffened with a gasp, surprise slackening his grasp even as he groaned and kissed Nori back.

It was nothing like the first kiss Nori stole from him. This one was as rough as their fight, teeth and the hard thrust of Dwalin's tongue into Nori's mouth even as Dwalin began to gather himself to try to grab Nori again.

" _Much_ better," Nori breathed against the warrior's lips, "but still not good enough." He rammed his knee hard into Dwalin's stomach to drive all the air from him and ran.

Nori could hear Dwalin's breathless cursing behind him, and laughed as he ran out into the safety of the darkness and pathless stone.

They told Nori he was blind.

If the alternative was to be as unseeing as everyone else, he'd take 'blind' any day.

.


	4. third time lucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin catches Nori (or is it the other way around?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please be aware that the fic's rating has gone up! There is smut!

.

Dwalin licked his thumb to tamp down a bowl of pipeweed, and froze.

The Golden Eyed had just turned the corner and was ambling down the alley toward him. The thief casually swept before him with the pointed end of his mining tool every few steps, tapping here and there to navigate himself. His hair was all up in its peaks, beautiful gleaming braids around beautiful wide unseeing eyes. He had a coin in his fingers, a big shiny gold coin that danced and spun across his knuckles, flipped into the air to be caught again as he changed hands with his mining tool. There was a swagger in the Golden Eyed's step, a cocky grace to his every movement, and Dwalin _did not_ think of the feel of his strong little body against his own, smooth as the straining strength of a drawn bow and every bit as explosively powerful on the attack. Dwalin _did not_ think of his kisses, the sharpness of teeth against the softness of his lips, the yielding heat of his mouth. He was beautiful still, for all Dwalin knew him for a thief now. He knew he should not want him _more_ for looking so gentle and knowing him to be a skilled fighter.

Dwalin hardly breathed, stomach tightening with nervous anticipation as he slid his pipe into his pocket unsmoked as silently as he was able. He held himself as still as he could. The thief was going to walk right past him. If he was still enough, silent enough, he could catch him off guard. Finally _catch_ him. He'd followed the vague rumor that the Golden Eyed was in this settlement, but he'd hardly dared hope to actually find him. Gathering information on his movements was difficult. People _liked_ the Golden Eyed.

The coin flipped and danced between the thief's hands, juggled carelessly but beautifully. Mesmerizing.

"How does he do that?" the Golden Eyed mused as he ambled near, flicking the coin high to flash in the light and snatching it out of the air to roll around his other hand. "How can he tell where the coin is going to be?" He tossed the coin high again, flipping through the air and falling behind his back – caught just as carelessly and dancing through the fingers of his hand. "Is he talking to himself, or does he _know_?"

The coin was flicked up high again and Dwalin, watching it, nearly didn't dodge the first vicious swing of the mining tool. The mace end whistled just over his head, and Dwalin ducked right into a kick that knocked him hard back against the alley wall. The thief balanced light on his feet, fighter's stance with his mace just barely held in his fingertips. He was so _fast_ , he could go any direction from there and he gave no clues away. None that Dwalin could tell.

The coin fell ringing to the stone between them.

"Underestimating me, Dwalin?" he asked softly, laughter in his voice. No, underestimating him was not a mistake Dwalin would be making. He attacked as fast as he could, not surprised this time when he was blocked. The thief had the easier part of it, trying just to keep out of Dwalin's reach while Dwalin was trying to capture him, but Dwalin had been practicing. His usual methods didn't work on the thief, so he'd found people to teach him different ones. He'd fought against people who's style matched the thief's as much as he could. Dwalin might not be young, but he _could_ still learn. He managed to surprise a gasp out of the Golden Eyed when he grabbed the mining tool and flung it away clattering down the alley. He tried to follow with flinging the thief himself into a nearby wall, but he managed to dodge him again. _How_ he could predict Dwalin's moves, he'd never know. It made no sense.

Even without his mining tool, the thief was hard to fight. He was too fast, too hard to predict. He was no easier to fight once Dwalin _did_ manage to grab hold of him, not least because he started kissing Dwalin again – burning kisses whenever their mouths were close. He should not want that. He should not crave the thief's sharp gasp when he bit his lip, not hunger for the nip of his teeth and the thrust of his tongue into Dwalin's own mouth.

He didn't let it distract him from trying to get a solid grip on the Golden Eyed, not that he had much luck. The thief was too _squirmy_ , he couldn't be grabbed.

When Dwalin finally managed to slam him against the alley wall, it was with his whole body. His hands were finally holding the thief, holding him fast, but the thief held him just as close. His beautiful little body arched up against Dwalin's, his blunt nails dug into the back of Dwalin's neck. His mouth was all soft heat now as Dwalin thrust in hard with his tongue. Somehow one of the thief's legs had gotten between Dwalin's, and he ground it unmercifully against Dwalin's cock, which had chosen _now_ of all times to be throbbingly hard.

Dwalin thrust back against the thief, groaning into the kiss. He was holding the Golden Eyed finally, but it wasn't the right way. His hands were stroking that perfect body and didn't seem to have any desire to grab the thief's hands – bind him and take him away for the reward.

The thief was moaning now, his eyes near-closed so only the tiniest sliver of gold was visible beneath the soft fall of his lashes. His clever hands held Dwalin close, petted him, knew the shape of him. Dwalin's entire body jolted when the thief's hand reached between them to squeeze Dwalin's cock through his clothes.

"Yes," the Golden Eyed moaned, almost a question.

"Yes," Dwalin huffed, the only answer he could give even if he didn't know the question. His fingers wrapped around the soft silk of the thief's braided hair, other hand squeezing the firm curve of his arse to pull him up closer.

Then the blind thief's clever fingers teased their way into his trousers to stroke his cock, burning hot skin and firm grip, and Dwalin had no coherent words at all. The thief thumbed at the thick ring piercing the head of Dwalin's cock, brilliant intensity like fire behind Dwalin's eyes.

"Big everywhere," the thief gasped, burning whispers against Dwalin's panting lips. "You'd fuck me with this, wouldn't you? You'd do that for me? Pound me hard enough to make me spend from nothing but that big cock deep inside me?" The thief was stroking him fast and hard to compliment the heat of his words, a twist to Dwalin's piercing, and Dwalin was spending with the thief's mouth crushed beneath his. His climax burned through him fast and hot, leaving his body trembling in its wake. He slumped against the thief, petting him with trembling hands. He was so good, so good.

The thief was almost gentle when he hooked his boot around Dwalin's and knocked him onto his arse. Dwalin sat sprawl-legged on the stone, blinking slowly up at the Golden Eyed.

The thief's mouth was red with the roughness of their kissing, half of his bottom lip swollen where Dwalin had bitten it. Dwalin groaned when the thief lifted his hand to lick a spot of Dwalin's seed from it with a thoughtful hum. He was beautiful in his dishevelment, bright golden eyes heavy lidded, but even as Dwalin gazed up at him he gathered himself. He reached up to smooth his ragged hair before he reached down to straighten the soft fabric of his beautifully fitted tunic, and then lastly into his trousers to tuck away his cockstand.

Dwalin reached toward him weakly, and he wasn't sure if he was trying to capture him, or to snuggle him through the afterglow, or to offer to bring him off too. Maybe a bit of all three.

"Another time, Dwalin," the Golden Eyed suggested smoothly, the calm of his voice belied by the flush of his cheeks. He sidestepped Dwalin's hand neatly and ambled off down the alley. He hooked his mining tool with his boot and flipped it up to catch it in his hand, picked up his gold coin, and swaggered out of the alley.

Dwalin blinked after him, sitting on his arse in the middle of an empty little alley with a mess growing quickly uncomfortable in his trousers, and made no move to pursue.

This was _not_ how catching a thief was supposed to go.

.


	5. conclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nori is a cocky little shit and joins the quest

.

Signing up for Thorin's quest to take back Erebor wasn't the only way Nori could have gotten himself out of trouble, but it was the most exciting way to go about it. He could have made himself scarce until it all blew over and it became obvious the others were caught because they had refused to listen to Nori rather than that he'd set them up to fail.

It wasn't the first time it'd happened. He could have laid low – gone home and gotten a job in the mines for a few months – but when he went to talk to Bofur about picking up a few shifts he heard about Thorin's quest.

Nori'd grown up on his amad's stories of the mountain, the legends about the wealth of its stone the miners who'd trained him in stone sense would tell. He'd always wanted to feel the stone of Erebor.

The palace guards were polite enough to a 'blind' Dwarf when they let him in to see Thorin, and Nori walked confidently to stand before him, tapping casually in front of himself with the pointed end of the bongy-knocker and feeling out the entirety of the palace and all those in it. Maybe it was a silly sentimentality, but Nori'd never taken a job that stole from Erebor's royals. They'd done well by the refugees during the early years, and maybe he'd picked up a little of his amad's loyalty and gratitude for that.

Nori bowed politely. "Thorin Oakenshield, Nori son of Ari asks to join your quest for Erebor."

"Well met Nori, what skills can you share with us?" Thorin asked briskly. Behind him, Nori could feel from the shift of his weight on the stone and the sound of his movements that one of the guards was likely signing to those at the head of the room.

"He's blind? You're blind?" one of the Dwarves said, the one who carried a fair amount of gold in paranoid little purses carefully hidden about himself.

"So I'm told," Nori conceded, "but I'd argue you need me on your quest because _you're_ all blind."

The Dwarf who'd accused Nori of blindness made an offended noise, and several others murmured to each other. Their balances shifted where they sat.

"Peace, Gloin," Thorin silenced the Dwarf who'd been offended. "That is a bold claim, Nori," he challenged.

Nori tapped the end of the bongy-knocker to the stone again, and _felt_.

"Your throne is made of a gabbro mined from the south of the blue mountains. Blue eyed, this particular one's called, for the gleam of the reflective bits. It has two steps up, broad, a wide tread but only a small rise." Nori told him, "There are five Dwarves sitting with you. Two to your right. Gloin and another. You carry four knives as well as your axe. To your left there are two Dwarves crowded close to you – advisers? – one near as big as you, the other much smaller, and Dwalin, who against all evidence _still_ believes that I will not notice him if he is quiet."

Nori took a breath while they made surprised noises, and continued. " _That_ guard's the one who signed to you that I'm blind," he gestured toward the one who'd signed. "There are four guards behind me. The carving of the palace runs fifty paces to the right of this room, and a bit over a hundred to the left. The ovens are to the left, hot soapstone, some forty paces directly but longer to take the hallways. There are two doors between here and there. There are three Dwarves in the kitchen. One is doing something with the ovens, the other is doing something in a sink, the third left through an open doorway – into a pantry maybe? They're carrying something heavy. Above us are five levels of rooms, each level smaller. There are two guards on the level above this one. One just turned the far corner on patrol and it walking back. The second is walking nearly directly above us. The single guard on the third level has curled up in the far left corner and has not moved since I approached the palace. Probably sleeping."

There was surprised shuffling, signing, and one of the guards behind Nori was sent running to go wake up the third level guard.

" _That_ guard's in charge," Nori'd figured out the direction of orders. What else could he add to show what he could feel. "Beneath the far right corner of the palace is a deep shaft with a heavy door leading to a small vein of silver, nearly spent." He tapped the bongy-knocker again thoughtfully. Pointing out where they kept their valuables would not likely go over all that well, and the movements of Dwarves on the streets outside was not all that interesting or unpredictable.

"The Dwarf directly to Thorin's left, wearing the gold-plate diadem set with garnet and beryl, are you Lady Dis?" Nori guessed.

"I am," she said. "Here with me is Balin, and to the other side of Thorin is Oin, the Company's healer," there was a smile in her voice. "You have to admit that's impressive, brother."

"It is an unusual skill," Thorin admitted.

"I trained with Bofur of your Company," Nori added. "He can attest to my skills. I work with him in the mines from time to time. Most of the lads never know the difference."

"And what do you do when you're not in the mines?" Dwalin asked gruffly.

"I've got a wanderlust, I travel up and down the Blue Mountains. I've done that enough times I'd like to go a little further now." Nori answered.

"That's a pretty way of putting it," Dwalin snorted, shifting back in his seat. "He's a thief. They call him the Golden Eyed."

Balin and Dis both made surprised noises, and Gloin openly scoffed at the possibility and added that the Golden Eyed was nothing but legend. Underestimating him because he was 'blind'.

"You can't prove anything, just because my eyes are gold," Nori pointed out. He'd never been caught. On nothing but rumor and hearsay, there was no judge who'd imprison a blind Dwarf for it. Especially if he played as helpless as some people were willing to believe he was. He'd thought the dangers through carefully before he came here.

"There's a reward on him, a big one," Dwalin continued, "I've been trying to gather it."

"Is _that_ what you want with me?" Nori asked mildly, smiling slightly. Dwalin might tell himself he wanted to gather the reward, but the simple fact of it was he'd much rather have Nori for a tussle and a rough fuck in an alleyway. Nori certainly didn't mind that in the slightest. Dwalin choked slightly at the accusation, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"What good does it do if he can read the stone so well?" Gloin demanded, "It's a long ways to the mountain, and we're already bringing Bifur along – and at least _he_ can fight."

"Don't underestimate him in a fight," Dwalin grumbled, and Nori smiled slightly again. It was nice to have his skills vouched for. They'd been hard earned.

"It is true, Erebor is far away, and we already know the mountain. I _know_ Erebor's stone," Thorin's voice ached on it. He spoke of Erebor how so many who'd been there did, with such longing. No one spoke of the Blue Mountains like that. What might Erebor be like to for that sort of response?

Nori _wanted_ to go. He wanted to feel it for himself.

"Do you?" Nori challenged, "You know _every_ passageway in the stone in all of Erebor? You know which are safe now, after time and neglect and a Dragon? Can you track the heat and weight of a Dragon moving through a mountain without seeing him? You _need_ me in Erebor." He paused, left them space to breathe and think about what he'd said.

"I am _less good_ outside the mountains, but I am not helpless," Nori admitted. He'd never say he wasn't good. Even if he had no stone under his feet and had to rely on sound alone, he was good. "I can fight. I am an experienced traveler, and put my boots on stone I am better than _anyone_."

"We'll have to ask Bofur, but I do think..." Thorin said quietly, and that sounded hopeful.

"I'll vouch for him," Dwalin broke in. "I know he can fight, and he's well liked. People he works for say he gets done what he says he'll do, and he does specialize in leading people where others would rather they not be."

Dwalin was vouching for him? That was unexpected... though maybe he'd realized, like Nori, that having a lover along on the journey might be _very_ nice. Nori had started planning on taking advantage of that the moment he noticed Dwalin in the throne room. He smiled again as Thorin began making welcoming noises.

This was going to be _fun_.

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this short and sweet tale, I certainly had fun writing it!  
> <3,  
> Ts


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